Entire West Virginia Supreme Court Impeached

The West Virginia House of Delegates passed 11 articles of impeachment against the justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals. The justices being cited are Chief Justice Margaret Workman, Justice Robin Jean Davis, Justice Menis Ketchum, Justice Allen Loughry II and Justice Elizabeth Walker.

The main impetus for the impeachment stemmed from lavish renovations to then Chief Justice Loughry. The investigation of Loughry lead to the uncovering of systematic lavish spending among the other justices. Initially, Loughry’s spending habits caused the other justices to vote him out of his chief position due to lost of trust, he was replaced by Workman.

As the investigation continued, they found probable cause to believe Loughry engaged in a pattern and practice of lying and using his office for private gain. They found he utilized court employees and assets for his own gain.

This investigation lead to the shady practices of the other justices, which ultimately lead to the House of Delegates moving to impeach the entire panel. The House of Delegates found the lavish spending by the panel was incomprehensible. Loughry alone spent over $350,000 in renovations.